Packing machine



Aug. 16, 1938, c. L. DONEY PACKING MACHINE Filed 00%. 11, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Aug. 16, 1938. C. L. DONEY PACKINGMACHINE -Filed Oct. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSPatented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to a packing machine and more particularly to amachine for'use in the mechanical packing of fish. This work isgenerally eiTected by hand and is a slow, disagreeable,

5 tedious task necessitating long hours of continuous work.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, wherein fish, after being cleaned, can be mechanicallyand automatically cut and packed in a fast economical way reducing thespoilage to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the fish will be packed into cans, these after thepacking are ready for the steam boxes where they are cooked and sent tothe sealing machinathe lids being put on and the cans sealed, themachine being novel in its entirety and assures a continuity of packingoperation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable andefiicient in operation, automatic in the working thereof, readily andeasily adjusted and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention andpointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a 35 machine constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through the can carrier.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the cam track of the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally a portion ofa horizontal support in effect creating a stand and from which risesperpendicularly a stationary shaft Ill, being made secure in the supportin any suitable manner and has formed near its lower end a circular bedflange l I provided at its under face with nibs [2 which bite into thesupport while threaded on the lower end of said shaft is a nut I 3, thisfastening the shaft securely.

Rotatable about this shaft [0 is a turntable l4 forming a can carrier,being of substantially disk shape and having peripherally thereof canseats I 5, these opening outwardly and releasably clamp therein canbodies It which are devoid of lids or covers and are adapted to befilled or packed in the operation of the machine.

The turntable l4, which is rotated in any desirable manner, has anupstanding central hub l'l externally threaded at I8 for an adjustablecollar lll'and this hub is accommodated in a columnar centrally locatedhub portion 20 formed interiorly of a rotatable cylinder 2| being inresting position upon the collar H] which regulates the spacedrelationship thereof to the table M. The columnar hub portion 20 of thecylinder 21 is splined or keyed at 22 with the hub I! so that theturntable and said cylinder 2| rotate in unison with each other.

Formed at the perimeter of the cylinder 2| are vertically disposedcylinders or tubular columns 23, these being open at opposite ends andare aligned with the seats IS in the turntable I4 while reciprocatinglymovable within the cylinders or columns 23 are packing pistons orplungers 24, the stems 25 of which at their upper end portions areformed with elbows 26, these slidably fitting in runners 21 operating invertical slotted guides 28 fixed to and rising above the upper open endof the cylinder 2|. The runners 2! operate within the slots of theguides 28 vertically while the elbows 26 at their ends carry rollers 29,these movably fitted within a substantially oval shaped cam track 3|]armed at 3 I, the latter being fitted at 32 to the stationary shaft [0thus stationarily holding the track above the cylinder 2i. The plungersor pistons 24 operating in the track 3|] during the rotation of thecylinder 2| reciprocate within the cylinders 23 for packing operation.During rotation of said cylinder 2|, these pistons or plungers 24 moveoutwardly of the cylinders 23 at one side of the cylinder 2| so thatclean fish can be fed into the cylinders at such side from a, depositoryserving as a receiver for the fish before the packing operation and thefish within this depository can be mechanically or manually removedtherefrom for the placing of such fish into the cylinders 23 from whichhave been removed the plungers or pistons 24 in the cycle of operationof the machine.

The track 30 has high and low stretches thereto and at the high stretchof the same a retaining member 33 is provided thereon to hold themembers 29 within the track and to cause the plungers or pistons 24 whenwithout the cylinders 23 to be moved laterally in the runners 2'!fitting the guides 28 and thus avoiding obstructing access to thecylinders 23 at the filling side of the cylinder 2| for the packing offish within these cylinders. The high and low stretches of the track 30effect reciprocation of the pistons or plungers 24 in the cycle ofrotation of the cylinder 2|. When the pistons or plungers 24 areautomatically lowered in the cylinders 23, the material therein isforced and packed into the cans [6 upon the turntable l4, the fish beingadmitted into the cans through the lower open ends of said cylinders 23during rotation, thereof simultaneously with the rotationof theturntable l4, these being rotatable in unison with each other.

At one side of the cylinder 2| and fixed to an operating shaft 34 is adisk-like rotary cutter 35 which operates between a can, l6 upon theturntable l4 and the lower open end of a cylinder 23 in the cylinder 2|,this cutter 35 being horizontally arranged and functions to cut the fishto avoid surplus filling of the cans IS, the cutter 35 being located atthe packing side'of the cylinder 2| and its shaft 34 is power driven inany suitable manner.

In'the operation of the machine the dressed fish are delivered into thecylinders 23 at the filling side of the cylinder 2|, either manually ormechanically, and'as the turntable I4 and cylinder 2| rotate in unisonwith each other, the filled cylinders 23 through the action of theplungers or pistons 24 will deliver the fish successively into the cansI6 on the turntable |4 while the cutter 35 severs superfluous fish atthe top open ends of the cans to avoid overfilling .of the latter. Thepacked cans of fish are taken from the machine by successive removalfrom the turntable I4 and empty cans substituted so that in this mannerfish can be mechanically and automatically packed in a fast economicalway in the cans l6, reducing the spoilage to a minimum and suchfilledcans after passing the cutter are removed from the turntable andconveyed from the machine to steam boxes where the same are cooked andthereafter sent to a sealing machine where the lids are put on and thecans sealed, the packing and filling operations of the machine beingcontinuous in the working thereof.

The cylinder'2l is-adjustable with relation to the turntable M inconformity with the sizes of the cans H? to be filled andpacked.

The shaft 34 carries an adjustable collar 36. which enables verticaladjustment of the cutter 35 in conformity with the adjustment of therelationship of the turntable and cylinder. It is, of course, understoodthat a suitable shelving concentric to the shaft l0 and supported fromthe support to be disposedbeneath the open ends of the cylinders orcolumns 23 for the closing of these lower ends excepting that cylinderor column having its lower end disposed over the r0- tary cutter 35 ispresent in the machine and in this way the filling of these cylinders orcolumns 23 cannot drop out of the same during the cycle of operation ofsaid machine.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a turntable havingperipheral seats for cans, a cylinder turnable with the table and havingcylinders aligned with the seats, pistons opcrating within the cylindersand movable without the same, trackage effecting movement of thepistons, and a cutter operating between the turntable and said cylinder.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a turntable havingperipheral seats for cans, a cylinder turnable with the table and havingcylinders aligned with the seats, pistons operating within the cylindersand movable without the same, trackage efiecting movement of thepistons, a cutter operating between the turntable and said cylinder, andmeans for adjust ing the cylinder With relation to the turntable.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a turntable havingperipheral seats for cans, a. cylinder turnable with the table andhaving cylinders aligned with the seats, pistons the cylinder withrelation to the turntable, and

means for adjustment of the cutter with relation to the cylinder andturntable.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a turntable havingperipheral seats for cans, a cylinder turnable with the table and havingcylinders aligned with the seats, pistons operating within the cylindersand movable without the same, trackage effecting movement of thepistons, a cutter operating between the turntable and said cylinder,means for adjusting the cylinder with relation to the turntable, meansfor adjustment of the cutter with relation to the cylinder andturntable, and guides associated with the cylinder for the said pistons.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a turntable havingperipheral seats for cans, a cylinder turnable with the table and havingcylinders aligned with the seats, pistons operating within the cylindersand movable without the same, trackage effecting movement of thepistons, a cutter operating between the turntable and said cylinder,means for adjusting the cylinder with relation to the turntable, meansfor adjustment of the cutter with relation to the cylinder andturntable, guides associated with the cylinder for the said pistons, anda support for the trackage.

CHARLES L. DONEY.

